MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Wisconsin-native Jordan Zimmermann pitched his first game against Milwaukee, and his teammates hit three home runs in the Washington Nationals' 4-1 victory over the Brewers on Saturday night.

Zimmermann (8-6) struck out six and gave up five hits in six innings. The right-hander, who was born in Auburndale and played at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, has not allowed more than one earned run in each of his last seven starts.

Drew Storen and Sean Burnett each threw an inning of relief and Tyler Clippard pitched the ninth for his 19th save.

Washington center fielder Bryce Harper was a late scratch because of a stomach virus and was replaced by Corey Brown.

Brown led off the fourth by homering to left field, his first career hit giving the Nationals a 1-0 lead. It was the start of a six-hit inning off Milwaukee starter Randy Wolf (3-7).

With one out, Michael Morse singled and took second on a balk, but was easily thrown out at home by right fielder Norichika Aoki on Adam LaRoche's single. The next batter, Tyler Moore, hit his sixth homer to left for a 3-0 lead.

Milwaukee's run came in the fifth on Rickie Weeks' 11th homer of the season.

Wolf gave up four earned runs on nine hits in seven innings, as the Brewers lost for the eighth time in nine games.

And then on Wednesday, the Nats ended up trading their pile of top pitching prospects to the White Sox anyway, but instead of getting Sale, they got centerfielder Adam Eaton.

Eaton, 28, has never been an All-Star. But he finished last season with a .284 batting average, .362 slugging percentage, 59 RBIs and 14 home runs. He's also an asset defensively in the outfield.

But the pitching prospects Washington gave up – Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning – amounted to a steep price for Eaton. So steep that the Nats reportedly offered almost the same package of prospects for Sale.

Obviously, the initial tweet is what grabbed peoples' attention. But who can really say if Harper meant it as a positive or negative reaction to the Eaton trade? Frankly, it might not have anything to do with the trade at all.

Eaton, 28 years old, will be entering his sixth season, having played two seasons with the Diamondbacks and two season with the White Sox.

Eaton has never made an All-Star team, but has a solid OBP of .357 and has back-to-back seasons of 14 home runs and at least 50 RBIs. He also has a very friendly contract, having recently signed a five-year, $23.5 million contract.

In return, the White Sox get a treasure trove of prospects.

Giolito is the top prospect in the Nationals' organization and one of the top prospects in all of MLB. He appeared in six games for the nationals in 2016, finishing with a 6.75 ERA and 11 strikeouts. Lopez, the No. 4 prospect in the organization, appeared in 11 games in 2016, finishing with a 4.91 ERA and 42 strikeouts.

Dunning, one of the ace of the Florida Gators' staff, was selected by the Nationals with the 29th pick of the 2016 MLB Draft.

But considering the Nationals were willing to give up numerous top prospects for Chris Sale or Andrew McCutchen, it's puzzling that the Nationals would receive just Eaton in return.

The Nationals offered Giolito, Lopez, Dunning, and Robles for Chris Sale. They just traded Giolito, Lopez, and Dunning for Adam Eaton.